"The advantage of dual study is that you work on real assignments."

Ricardo Mulder couldn't have wished for a better school. As a dual Dosigner he is working on behalf of installation company Roodenburg on the 'Westfield Mall of the Netherlands' project in Leidschendam. A super large construction project, with all the challenges involved.

I`ve also progressed as a person. I'm more open-minded than three years ago
Ricardo Mulder

Westfield Mall consists of thirteen components and has a total surface area of around 117,000 square metres. The shopping centre will include shops, restaurants and a cinema. "We take care of the heating, cooling and air conditioning of the shops and plazas", so Ricardo,"and we also install the ventilation of the passages."

Instructive"The shopping centre develops with the market", adds Martin Tanis, Roodenburg operational director. "The client observes the international market and continuously adapts the concept accordingly. This demands flexibility, both from us and our installations. Additionally, working with many sub-contractors requires a great deal of mutual coordination." For Ricardo, this is extremely instructive and precisely the reason why he chose a dual higher professional education (HBO) programme: "The advantage of dual study is that you work on real assignments. And what's also great is that I have a paid job that matches my studies and interests."

Diverse and challengingRicardo is a third-year dual student in Mechanical Engineering at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. He also works 28 hours a week at Roodenburg. The installation company has been working with Dosign for about 25 years and has been participating in the dual process from the start. "The project fits in seamlessly with our philosophy," says Martin. "We bring in young technicians and give them the opportunity to grow within our company. At the same time, I see it as our duty to participate in such projects. There is no specific training for the work we do. So it's up to us to make sure that our employees get the knowledge and experience they need."

Professional and personal developmentRicardo also had to gain this knowledge and experience. In the meantime, he has already gone through a considerable development. "In the beginning I worked out drawings in 2D AutoCAD", he says. "At a certain point I got more independent assignments, for example calculating diameters or making fact sheets. Later I was allowed to model in Revit and I am now a head modeller. And I`ve also progressed as a person, I guess. I'm a lot more open-minded than three years ago."

Finding balanceMartin emphasizes that coaching on a personal level is an important part of the dual process: "Dosign provides training such as time management. That's what dual students need. They need to find a balance between work, school and private life." Ricardo: "Finding this balance is sometimes quite difficult, because both school and work require a lot of attention and energy. Fortunately, I get good guidance. Martin, Dosign and the school keep a close eye on my progress. Moreover, I have my colleagues in the project team for the daily supervision at work."

SuccessfulRicardo still has a year to go, but as far as Martin is concerned, the dual track has already been completed: "We care for Ricardo. He is a pleasant, full-fledged colleague who fits in well with our company. The fact that he will soon be graduating from higher professional education is a favourable side effect."

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